When caring for your garden, generally plants are better not over coddled – healthy soil, good moisture and mulch and compost should strengthen plants so that their own natural defences will fight disease and pests.
So don’t dig over (may also damage shallow rooted plants) and use mulch
A Good Indicator
Plenty of worms will tell you the soil is good and healthy – and you can encourage this by having your own worm farm.
Rhododendrons
Be careful not to over-fertilize, soil must be acidic – if they are thriving then the soil pH must be right
Don’t fertilise during flowering, rather just straight after flowering
Ditto for camellias and azaleas (except for roses this is a good general rule)
The roots of these shallow-rooted plants need the protection that mulch affords against extremes of heat and cold — and against drying out. Remember, the fact that these plants like a well-drained soil doesn’t mean they like to be dry.
Azaleas and rhododendrons are not desert plants; they like water. They just don’t like to be sitting in it for long periods of time, which would cause their roots to rot.
They need to be kept moist (not soaked) in the dry months
When To Prune
Pruning azaleas and rhododendrons later than that risks interfering with the development of next year’s buds.
Because of their shallow roots, little or no cultivation should be done around rhododendrons.
A fairly deep mulch of leaves, pine needles, chips, bark or other organic material will practically eliminate weed growth. (Peat moss should not be used as a mulch because it sheds water when it dries out.)
Roses are tougher – they can withstand drier conditions, but will thrive better with the same moisture as azaleas
They love regular feeding and pruning during the blooming period.
You should get at least three crops of roses – perhaps four in a growing season – with careful pruning and feeding I get six.
Fertilise when coming into bud and when flowering
Lilacs
Generally low maintenance once established, prefer full sun, keep weeds away with mulch. Don’t let the roots dry out (use drip irrigation)keep well drained
Star magnolias grows to about 15-20 ft – make sure it has room to spread - soak roots weekly in summer – if they look like drying out – like moisture - generally pretty hardy and mulch thickly.
Philadelphus or mock orange tree – full sun or light shade, supplement feed with peat moss (but not on the rhodos or azaleas
Prune immediately after flowering – cut just above a strong outer facing bud Pruning is an important part of the care of this shrub and involves removing old growth, thinning out new shoots
Vegetables
Even if you are not sure what you want to grow, I do recommend square foot gardening principles if you grow any.
This is essentially raised beds – of 4 feet by four feet and then divided into one foot squares.
You can change the footage if you like.
The sides can be made of wood (best) or anything really.
It has much better productivity than planting in rows or even ordinary raised beds.
The other benefit is that it is tidy in a garden landscape. Saves bending too!
My e-book Expert Gardening Solutions has some of the main vegetables and fruits with instructions.
